2024 Beer Memberships: Adding, Keeping, and Dropping

Keep:
Everywhere. I think it's a bit pricey but I like the quarterly pickup parties. 2 free flights a month is nice but I wish they could just be converted into a single full pour of something like they were at the very beginning.

The members beers are generally good but it feels a little high-ceiling, low floor to me. They seem to crush the barrel forward/blended/vanilla ones but some of the adjunct-heavy ones are pretty meh. Personally I'm not a banana fan so there's a little too much banana incorporation for my liking. Overall I think its worth it and the people who work there are top notch, so its always a pleasure to drop in, so I'll be keeping it for another few quarters at least.

Drop: N/A

Add: I liked Modern Times when I was in it but the nearest pickup location is a good hour away now (RIP Anaheim) and I'm still sitting on 12-ish of their beers from the '21 and '22 membership years. I can be convinced to come back but not many people I know drink their stuff anymore and the only beers I truly miss are Modem Tones Vanilla, the Medicare series, and a couple of the other random Modem Tones flavors (Date Shake and the barrel-specific versions come to mind).

 

Keeping FW, not adding or dropping anything else

 

Keeping:

Solaris - my local(ish), enjoy hanging out with the gang there. Low cost, beers are good and the variety of styles is a plus.

HPB - well-run and not much out-of-pocket for a brewery outside my range. I haven't had to use the shipping option yet, as I can pop in 3 times a year or so. Beers are solid. Would kill for a Timbo shipping subscription though.

Dropping: None

Adding: Considering Everywhere, but would probably drop HPB if I did add it.

 

I'm keeping my Bottle Friends membership with HPB. I don't live too far from the brewery, and I'm there practically every week, so the 10% discount has more than made up for it. Although, I will say it's a crapshoot when trying to get the discount at The Hermosillo. It's supposed to work there, but the workers there look at me like they don't know what I'm talking about, but I digress.